Distance Learning: University of Phoenix?

Hi Chris,

I’ve been teaching Online for UOP since 2002 and have to agree that the classes are just as rigorous as those in on-ground classes. As technology becomes more sophisticated in Online learning, podcasts and other interactive content will undoubtedly become more prevalent, providing more of a face-to-face type experience.

While there are UOP On-ground programs, as well as On-line options, there are many students for whom On-ground isn’t an option, because of their locations, schedules or other considerations.

A huge trend in Universities of all types is to offer Online classes. I sure wish they had been an option when I was in school…

Best regards,

Susan

Chris,

You really have to experience a class in Second Life to truly appreciate the power. Take a look at this:

http://www.jeff-barr.com/?p=550

Shared experiences are what make these environments enjoyable and powerful. You might find interesting the fact that educators and librarians are very, very excited about second life. The Info Island (with a blog at http://www.infoisland.org/) has been very successful.

I think that Kathy Gill at the UW (a regular Gnomedex attendee) also has some experience with this.

Jeff;

Lecture is not a very effective means of facilitating learning. Lecture is still the primary means of delivery in standard schools, though this is slowly changing. Basically, learning is best achieved in the style that fits the learner. This is via online learning activities for some, lecture for a few. University of Phoenix is wicked expensive though.

About two years ago, I began using simple enhanced podcasts to deliver lecture material to my online and hybrid classes at University of Phoenix. I’d found previously that students weren’t digesting my written lectures and that I was loosing the social contract that I so value between me and my students. The podcasts turned that around for me — where they had previously read my lectures one or two times, they listen/watch the podcasts three or four. Their attachment rate to the technology was also extremely high — 90% of my students intentionally seek out other alternative media sources once they experience the sessions I provide.

What I find so appealing about reaching out to my students this way — and encouraging them to reach out to me in kind — is that it begins to replace the social experience that students have in the classroom: it address the student faculty relationship. What I haven’t found yet is a compelling method to really address the group relationship, however.

That said, the newsgroup functionality at University of Phoenix I’ve found is quite passable. Of course, success depends so much on the capability of the faculty members AND the students who use it.

I teach at two other Universities from time to time — one traditional, one non-traditional. I’ve had a surprisingly difficult time getting the institutions to buy into the technology. Infrastructure appears to me to be quite a challenge in higher-ed — unless you’re MIT or Stanford, or one of the high-profile “Apple U.” schools, it’s tough to drive change at the administrative level.

[...] 1. Avoid speakers who have spoken at more than one conference within the last couple years, unless they have something really new and fresh to offer the audience. There are a notable few exceptions like any of the Google founders, Bill Gates, Phil Harrison from Sony and so on, but try best to avoid the conference regulars. The reason we see a lot of the same people speaking is because the organizers want these big names to come and hope they’ll promote to their respective audiences. It’s an old, tired tactic that works. 2. Schedule people to speak that you don’t see speaking or attending many conferences. Don’t wait for them to submit proposals to you, conference planners, seek these people out. Invite them! People like Jon and Heather Armstrong, Wil Wheaton has crossover appeal as an actor (Stand by Me, STNG), writer and a geek. Shelley Powers is outspoken, heck I’d just like to see a picture of what Ms. Powers looks like (Flickr? Google, anyone?), somebody book her now. Dori Smith doesn’t speak very often and she’s got a ton of JavaScript knowledge. With the surge in AJAX popularity why isn’t she being booked to more conferences? 3. Provide tested, working broadband internet and a pre-established backchannel that can scale. Even though more folks have EV-DO (myself included recently) this has been a major drawback of almost every conference I’ve been to the last few years. If one drops a couple hundred dollars or more to a conference these days then they expect to get internet that works. 4. More audience interaction. The old formula of go, sit and listen just doesn’t work any more. Dave Winer has tried to push more audience participation and I think that’s a good idea (he’d be one of those people not to get speak, BTW). There is also something to the hall having the most interesting conversation. Maybe you get reporters and coverage of the halls outside the sessions? I remember demoing StumbleUpon way before it was as popular as it is now for Chris at a conference out in the hall of a Northern Voice conference. There are many other early adopter conversations happening in the halls and corridors of these conferences. 5. Don’t forget the virtual worlds. Consider simulcasting the event in Second Life (again, bandwidth needed) and let others have mini events with the stream and send some master list to the people on the stage to address. Dean Koontz did this last night with Bantom Books and it worked well. Since Pirillo doesn’t seem to like Second Life I doubt you’ll see anything like this at Gnomedex and it’s too bad. Chris, you (and others) should look at it again as having good potential to supplement your conference and make the sessions more interactive. 6. More Ice breakers to ease communication between attendees. We hear all the time how the reason to go to the conference is the crowd, the conversation, not necessarily the speakers. Assuming that’s true then why not do more to facillitate more conversation between attendees? Perhaps randomizing the list and selecting five or ten buddies to meet during the event. Meet them and get them to sign your nametag with a code or something and redeem at the end for a free t-shirt. [...]

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as a subdirectory on my personal blog - that way, I only need to tease people to one site instead of two (when I’m clearly just one person with many interests). distance learning, elearning Related Content: Distance Learning Links? Distance Learning: University of Phoenix? The Gnomedexers StumbleUpon: Real or Fake? Robyn The Cradle This Thing Is Awesome How to Draw Comics Looking for a Reason to Believe Video Rockers Our New Apartment [IMG]

Is there a UOP blog that focuses on PhD students exchanging ideas as well as academic questions such as statistics, thesis writing etc
Thank you

I am starting my classes online in two weeks. MMI program sounds extremely appealing to me. not only it is a continuation of my previous degree but also gives me a chance to be in a worldwide online classroom. I am looking forward to begin my first class.

The reason why I have decided to spend all my savings for UOP is the ability to graduate with a Master’s Degree without changing my daily schedule and second, only UOP offers the classes I am interested in. Moreover, I got a lot of valuable information form my enrollment counselor of how studying online looks like. The only thing is, that the program I have chosen is so (!!!) expensive.. Anyway, investment in the future is the best one you can make. And I truly believe so.
If everything goes right, I may consider PhD degree.
Best wishes for everyone!

Are degrees earned from UOP transferable to other universities? I have taken a few classes from UOP and really liked them but feared that a degree from them would not be as valuable as one from a traditional college.